The bigger concern is that Apple's influence could encourage Android manufacturers to embrace designs and technologies that do not necessarily improve the everyday smartphone experience.

Two features stand out in the speculation surrounding the iPhone 20, Apple's anticipated 20th-anniversary model: a display curved along all four edges and a camera with a variable aperture.

New leak points to ambitions among Chinese smartphone makers

The latest information comes from Digital Chat Station (DCS), a well-known account that regularly shares details about upcoming technology products.

Although the person behind the account has not been publicly identified, DCS has become a closely watched source of smartphone leaks.

Its reports frequently involve brands such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Honor, Oppo and OnePlus, as well as Apple products.

According to the latest leak, several Chinese smartphone manufacturers are exploring devices equipped with 200-megapixel cameras featuring variable apertures and nearly bezel-free displays curved on all four sides, potentially positioning them to compete directly with Apple.

Although DCS did not specifically mention the iPhone 20, the device is widely seen as a potential competitive target.

Apple is expected to invest heavily in its 20th-anniversary iPhone, marking two decades since Steve Jobs introduced the original iPhone in 2007.

It would be unrealistic to expect the iPhone 20 to deliver a revolution comparable to the first generation.

Nevertheless, given the significance of the anniversary, Apple will likely seek to introduce substantial changes in both design and technology.

The concern is that if Android manufacturers quickly follow those changes, the market could see another wave of smartphones adopting similar features, regardless of whether they offer meaningful benefits.

Android devices have certainly introduced some technologies before Apple. Yet Apple has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to turn particular features or design choices into mainstream trends.

That influence helps explain why so many modern smartphones resemble the iPhone.

Soon after the iPhone Duo was announced, for example, a similar screen-transition animation appeared elsewhere. The effect involves the outer display fading and transitioning to the inner screen as the foldable device opens.

Such examples illustrate how Apple's influence extends beyond sales figures to the way competitors develop and position their products.

However, learning from Apple does not mean copying every design decision.

A feature that looks impressive during a product launch may not necessarily deliver a better experience in everyday use.

Four-sided curved displays: Attractive, but are they worth it?

One of the most intriguing rumors surrounding the iPhone 20, or possibly the iPhone 20 Pro Max, is that Apple could adopt a display curved along all four edges rather than the flat screens found on many current smartphones.

If the rumor proves accurate, Android manufacturers already exploring similar designs could quickly bring the technology back into the spotlight.

The trend could potentially extend into 2028 and beyond.

A four-sided curved display offers obvious aesthetic advantages. Curved edges make the screen appear larger, create an almost borderless appearance and give the device a more premium look.

However, the practical experience is not necessarily as appealing.

Accidental touches along the screen edges can still occur, even when manufacturers introduce software optimizations to prevent them.

This can become particularly frustrating when holding a phone during gaming or operating it with one hand.

Screen protectors also become more complicated to install. They may not adhere properly to the curved surface, especially around the corners, making it harder to protect the device effectively.

One reason Apple might consider this design is its ability to create the illusion of a larger display with almost invisible bezels.

The smartphone industry has pursued this visual effect for years.

Yet bezels on modern phones are already thin enough to provide an excellent viewing experience. Users also tend to adapt relatively quickly to different designs.

For example, switching from a modern smartphone to an older Google Pixel 3a, with its noticeably thicker bezels, may initially feel like a significant downgrade. But that discomfort often fades after some time.

For Android manufacturers, adopting four-sided curved displays purely to create a more striking appearance may therefore be unnecessary.

Variable-aperture cameras: Impressive specifications, limited advantages?

The second technology mentioned by DCS is a variable-aperture camera, a feature that would likely be reserved primarily for premium smartphones.

On traditional cameras, the aperture controls how much light reaches the image sensor and helps determine depth of field.

When taking portraits, photographers may prefer a blurred background to make the subject stand out.

For landscape photography, keeping more of the scene in focus is often more important.

An adjustable aperture therefore offers a degree of flexibility.

However, smartphones face physical limitations that differ significantly from those of dedicated cameras.

Even a smartphone equipped with a 1-inch image sensor has a substantially smaller sensor than an APS-C camera, let alone a professional full-frame model.

As a result, smartphones generally produce a relatively deep depth of field, allowing more areas of an image to remain reasonably sharp.

Meanwhile, modern computational photography can already simulate convincing background blur in portrait images.

Using image-processing algorithms, smartphones can separate subjects from their backgrounds without relying entirely on a physical aperture mechanism.

Another consideration is that narrowing the aperture reduces the amount of light reaching the sensor.

In low-light conditions, the phone may need to use a slower shutter speed or increase ISO sensitivity, raising the risk of motion blur or image noise.

Variable apertures can still be useful in specific situations, such as photographing scenes under strong sunlight or keeping nearby subjects more sharply focused.

For most everyday smartphone photography, however, the technology may not deliver an improvement as significant as its specifications suggest.

Rather than concentrating too heavily on variable apertures, smartphone manufacturers could prioritize larger image sensors and better telephoto camera systems.

These upgrades have greater potential to produce noticeable improvements in real-world image quality.

The speculation surrounding the iPhone 20 illustrates how Apple's influence can spread across the smartphone industry even before a product officially exists.

Rumors about upcoming designs and technologies can be enough to prompt competitors to reconsider their own product development plans.

Ultimately, a new feature only matters if it addresses a genuine need, improves the user experience or delivers enough value to justify its inclusion.

Instead of pursuing attention-grabbing designs, Android manufacturers may find stronger competitive advantages in better cameras, longer battery life, more practical displays, improved durability and better-optimized software.

Hai Phong